I did something I hadn’t done in a long time at the early screening of The Naked Gun I attended earlier this week — I laughed myself silly in a movie theatre. It’s been years since I’ve seen a movie this funny theatrically, and boy did I miss the sound of a theatre full of people cackling so loud I occasionally missed a joke. I’ve missed comedy, and this was a really good one.
I’ll admit, I was wary of a Naked Gun reboot. I love the first three movies (even the much-maligned third), but it’s been a while since anyone did a laugh-a-minute spoof like this. That said, director Akiva Schaffer turned out to be the right guy to tackle the formula. He already made the underrated Hot Rod, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and the better-than-expected Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie. He nails the tone here, embracing the kind of dumb humour that made the originals so much fun, with the occasional knowing wink at the audience that shows there’s some real smarts behind all the laughs. #thenakedgun
